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The Catholic Biblical Notice on Lectionary, Volumes II-IV (Weekdays, Saints, and Commons)Although the text is not yet generally available, the following comments can be made. The provenance of the texts is generally the same as for Volume I (see below, "Appraisal of Volume I). As in the case of Volume I, the texts were rendered somewhat more inclusive than the original NAB by the BCL before they were sent to Rome. The Bishops were assured at their June 2001 meeting that the changes made on the text they had sent to Rome in 1992 were minimal. This, however, turns out not to be the case. Much as in the case of Volume I, the texts, as returned from Rome, have in many places been made to conform to the Latin text of the Nova Vulgata. This accords with the prescriptions of Liturgiam authenticam. Since this was issued only three months earlier, the work of conforming the lectionary texts to the Nova Vulgata must have begun long before Liturgiam authenticam was issued. In accord with the provisions of that document (## 75, 101), such work is done anonymously. An example of conforming the lectionary to the Nova Vulgata can be seen in the psalm responsories. The Hebrew word hesed has several nuances in various contexts, as can be seen in HALAT, Holladay, and other reliable lexicons, among which "mercy" is not found. These nuances can be seen in the various ways it was rendered in the NAB Psalter, from which the responsories were drawn. The Vulgate, however (and therefore the Nova Vulgata) regularly rendered hesed as "misericordia," so now we find "mercy" in all those places in the responsories. So also, working from the Nova Vulgata, the English of the responsories no longer contains a distinction between 'ashre and brk, two totally different idioms in Hebrew (the former never used of God, only of humans); both appear as "blessed/bless." In effect, the translation is dependent not on the original Hebrew, as Divino Afflante Spiritu requires, but from a Latin translation made from the Greek (since the Psalter in the Vulgate is the Gallican Psalter, not the one St. Jerome translated from Hebrew). Another example of conforming the lectionary texts to the Nova Vulgata can be seen especially in the expansionist readings in the Wisdom of Ben Sira (Sirach). As explained elsewhere (for details, click America article).
Many of these expansions, not found the Hebrew or Greek texts of Ben Sira,
are poorly translated and sometimes appear to be taken from the old
Douay-Rheims, as will appear in some of the following examples.
Sometimes the expansionistic character is obvious. In the following examples, the words in boldface are additions in the lectionary to the NAB text sent to Rome: At 2:1: "My son, when you come to serve the Lord,/ stand in justice and fear,/ prepare yourself for trials." (cf. Douay-Rheims). At 2:2: "Be sincere of heart and steadfast,/ incline your ear and receive the words of understanding,/ undisturbed in time of adversity" (cf. the Douay-Rheims). At 3:17 [3:19-20 in the Vulgate and Douay-Rheims because of the expansionistic additions of verses 1 and 13]: "My child, conduct your affairs with humility,/ and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts./ Humble yourself the more, the greater you are,/ and you will find favor with God./ The greater you are,/ the more you must humble yourself in all things,/ and you will find grace before God" (cf. Douay-Rheims). Unfortunately, such examples of expansions, some that do not even suit the context, could easily be multiplied. |
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